There Was One Major Google Product That Was Missing From Today's Giant Event

At this year's I/O conference, dozens of early adopters could be
seen throughout the crowd wearing Google Glass.

But the company's wearable display was noticeably absent from one
important part of I/O — the main stage.

During Google's nearly three-hour presentation at its annual
conference, the company rolled out a lengthy list that summarizes
its big priorities and announcements for the year.

On that list were improvements and updates for Android, new
details on Android Wear, the unveiling of Google's connected car
effort Android Auto, and the introduction of Android TV among
other updates.

Google wowed audiences two years ago when it introduced Glass as
a cool new gadget for early adopters, complete with a video
showcasing how Glass could be used to capture exciting
first-person sky-diving videos. Now, two years later, we seem to
be just as far away from a true consumer launch as ever before.

Google Glass was billed as one of Google's most exciting I/O
announcements back in 2012, but it has since been completely left
out Google's I/O presentations.

Why was it left out? Here are four ideas.

Google may be putting the finishing touches on Android
Wear before it releases Glass to the masses. Android
Wear is Google's software for wearable devices — not just smart
watches. So far, we've only seen watches like the Moto 360, LG
G Watch, and Samsung Gear Live running Android Wear. Google has
been very careful to refer to Wear as a platform for wearable
devices in general, implying that it can translate to both
wrist-worn and head-mounted devices. But if Google is pitching
Android Wear as its primary platform for wearable devices, it
would seem strange not to include it on its own flagship
headset.

Google likes to make announcements regarding Glass
quietly as they happen. Since Glass was unveiled
in 2012, we've seen incremental updates essentially happen in
real time. The company has taken to Google+ to make
announcements such as the availability of prescription options,
new partnerships, the extension of its Explorer program, and
newly available apps for the platform. Google seems to be
quietly rolling out its updates for Glass rather than flaunting
them at events, which could be why it was completely left out
of I/O. In fact, Google chose to unveil its new version of
Glass with more memory and storage just before I/O rather than
on stage.

It simply isn't ready yet. Google Glass isn't
as simple as a smart watch. People are used to wearing smart
watches. They know how to interact with them. Fitness trackers
have already been part of the mainstream for a little while, so
wearing something on your wrist that connects to your phone
doesn't seem that unnatural. The case is different with Glass,
though. If you don't regularly wear glasses already, it's going
to take some convincing to wear something on your face where
everyone can see it. It's quite possible that Google is still
working out details like fine-tuning the everyday experience,
getting it cheap enough to make it appealing to consumers (it's
still $1,500), and finding the best way to sell it. For
example, I could imagine Google Glass being sold in eyeglass
shops as a premium accessory for those who wear glasses.

Google is moving away from Glass. This is what
people are buzzing about on Twitter. We don't think it's
happening. Google is committed to Glass, even if it may not
seem like it after I/O.

Google has made it clear within the past few months that it's
focused on creating a seamless experience across all devices.
That idea was present more than ever at I/O this year, and it's
possible the company is still figuring out how Glass would fit
into that vision.